Elimination of hazardous material is gaining more attention due to the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) laws imposed because of the extreme toxicity of many of these waste products. Wastes from lead paint removal are often hazardous due to the high lead content as well as zinc, cadmium, copper, nickel, barium and other heavy metals present. Handling and disposal of these hazardous wastes is far more complicated and expensive than if there were nonhazardous. Thus, it could be extremely beneficial if the lead paint could be rendered nonhazardous prior to its removal from the surface it is on. This would eliminate the production of hazardous wastes thereby avoiding the requirement of adhering to strict EPA regulations since no hazardous wastes are ever produced. This would reduce costs greatly and simplify the methods of handling and disposal of the resulting nonhazardous waste.
A method of rendering the lead paint nonhazardous is via a treatment process which introduces an additive that renders metals to a nonhazardous form to a coating preparation formula. This coating preparation could then be applied over the existing lead paint before the lead paint is removed from the surface. The lead paint is thereby rendered nonhazardous before it is removed from its surface and becomes a waste material.
This process has numerous advantages. First, the additive is in intimate contact with the lead-bearing (or other heavy metal-bearing) paint, since they are removed together, and there will be no question of achieving sufficient mixing between the paint waste and the additives.
Second, since the paint is treated before it is removed from the surface, the generation of a hazardous waste is eliminated. The treated waste will need to be disposed in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations regarding solid waste disposal, but it will not need to be handled as a hazardous waste. Thus, this treatment process reduces the amount of EPA regulation and reduces time consuming EPA filing requirements.
Third, since the additive is introduced on top of the existing paint surface, the underlying surface after removal should be unaffected by the treatment process. In other words, the waste treatment will not effect the underlying surface with regards to future painting.
Yet another advantage is since this technique eliminates the generation of hazardous waste it will reduce both the short-term cost and long-term liability for anyone with lead painted items and, or course, it provides intangible benefit of the manifesting requirements of a hazardous waste generator.
Another advantage is that the application procedure to the lead painted surface is extremely simple and thereby reduces the potential for human error.